1755 Silver Doppio Giulio. Pope Benedict XIV. Papal State

Description: Italy, Stato Pontificio (Papal States). Benedict XIV AR Doppio Giulio. Rome mint, 1755. BEN XIV PON M A XVI, bust to right / MDCC-LV, Holy Mother Church on clouds, holding keys in right hand, small church to right. Muntoni 51; CNI 323; Berman 2743; KM 972. 5.21g, 26mm, 12h. Very Fine; ex-mount.. Pope Benedict XIV(Latin:Benedictus XIV;Italian:Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 3 May 1758),bornProspero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of theCatholic Churchand ruler of thePapal Statesfrom 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Perhaps one of the best scholars to sit on the papal throne, yet often overlooked, he promoted scientific learning, the Baroque arts, reinvigoration ofThomism, and the study of the human form. Firmly committed to carrying out the decrees of theCouncil of Trentand authentic Catholic teaching, Benedict removed changes previously made to theBreviary, sought peacefully to reverse growing secularism in European courts, invigorated ceremonies with great pomp, and throughout his life and his reign published numerous theological and ecclesiastical treatises. In governing the Papal States, he reduced taxation on some products, but also raised taxes on others; he also encouraged agriculture and supported free trade within the Papal States. A scholar, he created the Sacred and Profane Museums, now part of the presentVatican Museum. He can be considered apolymathto an extent due to his numerous studies of ancient literature, his publishing of ecclesiastical books and documents, his interest in the study of thehuman body, and his devotion to art and theology. Towards the end of his papacy Benedict XIV was forced to contend with issues surrounding theSociety of Jesus. He expelled them fromPortugalat the behest ofJoseph Iin 1758, just before his death. The papacy reluctantly acceded to the anti-Jesuit demands while providing minimal theological justification for the suppressions. Horace Walpoledescribed him as "loved by papists, esteemed by Protestants, a priest without insolence or interest, a prince without favorites, a pope without nepotism, an author without vanity, a man whom neither intellect nor power could corrupt." Early life Birth and studies Lambertini was born into a noble family ofBologna, the third of five children of Marcello Lambertini and Lucrezia Bulgarini.At the time of his birth, Bologna was the second largest city in thePapal States. His earliest studies were with tutors, and then he was sent to the Convitto del Porto, staffed by theSomaschi Fathers.At the age of thirteen, he began attending theCollegio Clementinoin Rome, where he studied rhetoric, Latin, philosophy, and theology (16891692). During his studies as a young man, he often studied the works ofSt. Thomas Aquinas, who was his favorite author and saint. While he enjoyed studying at Collegio Clementino, his attention turned toward civil and canon law. Soon after, in 1694 at the age of nineteen, he received the degree ofDoctor of Sacred TheologyandDoctor Utriusque Juris(both ecclesiastical and civil law). Ecclesiastical career Lambertini became an assistant to Msgr. Alessandro Caprara, the Auditor of the Rota. After the election ofPope Clement XIin November 1700, he was made aconsistorial advocatein 1701.Shortly after, he was created a Consultor of theSupreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition, and then in 1708Promoter of the Faith. As Promoter of the Faith, he achieved two major successes. The first was the canonization ofPope Pius V. The second was the composition of his treatise on the process of the beatification and canonization of saints. In 1712, Lambertini was named Canon Theologus of the Chapter of the Vatican Basilica and member of theSacred Congregation of Rites; in 1713 he was namedmonsignor; and in 1718 secretary of theSacred Congregation of the Council. On 12 June 1724, only two weeks after his election,Pope Benedict XIIIappointed Lambertinititular bishopof Theodosia.Lambertini was consecrated a bishop in Rome, in the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican Palace, on 16 July 1724, by Pope Benedict XIII. The co-consecrators were Giovanni Francesco Nicolai, titular Archbishop of Myra (Vicar of the Vatican Basilica), and Nicola Maria Lercari, titular Archbishop of Nazianzus (Papal Maestro di Camera).In 1725, he served as the Canonist at the Roman Synod ofPope Benedict XIII. In 1718, the Istituto delle scienze ed Arti Liberali in Bologna had begun construction of a chapel for everyday convenience dedicated to the Annunication of the Virgin Mary. In 1725, Bishop Prospero Lambertini of Theodosia, who was working in the Roman Curia but was mindful of his origins, ordered the chapel to be painted. He handed over the work to Carlo Salarolo, who had the walls of the chapel adorned. Lambertini also ordered and paid for the painting above the main altar, an image of the Virgin being greeted by the angel, the work ofMarcantonio Franceschini. He was made Bishop ofAnconaon 27 January 1727, and was permitted to retain the title of Archbishop, as well as all the offices which he had already been granted. He was also allowed to continue as Abbot Commendatory of theCamaldolesemonastery of S. Stefano di Cintorio (Cemeterio) in the diocese of Pisa.In 1731, the new bishop had the main altar and the choir of the cathedral restored and renovated. Once he became pope, Lambertini remembered his former diocese, sending an annual gift to the Church of Ancona, of sacred vessels of gold or silver, altar appointments, vestments, and other items. Cardinal Bishop Lambertini was created a Cardinal on 9 December 1726, though the public announcement of his promotion was postponed until 30 April 1728.He was assigned thetitular churchofSanta Croce in Gerusalemmeon 10 May 1728.He participated in the1730 conclave. On 30 April 1731, Cardinal Lambertini was appointedArchbishop of BolognabyPope Clement XII.During his time as archbishop, he composed an extensive treatise in three volumes,De synodo dioecesana, on the subject of the diocesan synod, presenting a synthesis of the history, Canon Law, practices, and procedures for the holding of those important meetings of the clergy of each diocese.He was in fact preparing the ground for the holding of a synod of his own for the diocese of Bologna, an expectation he first announced in aNotificazioneof 14 October 1732. When the first edition of theDe Synodowas published in 1748, however, the synod still had not taken place.He continued in the office of Archbishop of Bologna even after he became Pope, not finally resigning until 14 January 1754. Election to the papacy Cardinal Lambertini c. 1740. Main article:Papal conclave, 1740 After the death ofPope Clement XIIon 6 February 1740, Cardinal Lambertini attended thepapal conclaveto choose a successor. The Conclave opened on 18 February, but Lambertini did not arrive until 5 March. He was not one of the 'papabili', not being one of the favorites of any of the factions (Imperialists, Spanish, French,Zelanti). The Conclave lasted for six months.At first Cardinal Ottoboni, the Dean of the Sacred College, was favored to be elected, but a number of cardinals were opposed to him because he was the protector of France in the Papal Curia.His death on 29 February 1740 eliminated him from consideration. Cardinal Domenico Riviera of Urbino received a respectable number of votes for a while, and then, in July, Cardinal Pompeio Aldrovandi of Bologna. He had enemies, however, who assembled enough votes to ensure that he would never get the two-thirds needed to be elected. His greatest enemy, the Camerlengo Cardinal Annibale Albani, chose instead to support Cardinal Giacomo de Lanfredini of Florence, who worked in Rome in the Curia. In mid-August, Albani asked the leader of the Imperialist faction, Cardinal Niccol del Giudice, to give a thought to Lambertini. After long deliberations, Lambertini was put forth to the cardinal electors as a compromise candidate, and it is reported that he said to the members of the College of Cardinals "If you wish to elect a saint, choose Gotti; a statesman, Aldrovandi; an honest man, me."Vincenzo Ludovico Gotti(16641742) was professor of philosophy at the College of Saint Thomas, and perhaps the leadingThomistof his time.CardinalAldrovandiwas a canon lawyer. This witticism appears to have assisted his cause, which also benefited from his reputation for deep learning, gentleness, wisdom, and conciliation in policy.On the evening of 17 August 1740 at around 9:00pm, on the 255th ballot, he was elected pope and took the throne name of Benedict XIV in honour ofPope Benedict XIIIto whom he owed his eccleiastical career.He was solemnly crowned by theprotodeaconon 21 August 1740. By 30 August 1740 the famous ephemeral baroque structures of the Festival of theChineaand the triumphal arch of Benedict XIV were erected byCharles III of Spain, who was thenKing of Naplesand a papal vassal. Pontificate Bust of Benedict XIV byPietro Bracci,Museum of Grenoble Benedict XIV's papacy began in a time of great difficulties, fueled by anticlericalism and chiefly caused by the disputes betweenCatholicrulers and thepapacyabout governmental demands to nominatebishopsrather than leaving the appointment to the church. He managed to overcome most of these problems theHoly See's disputes with theKingdom of Naples,Sardinia,Spain,Venice, andAustriawere settled. Pastoralis Romani Pontificis The apostolic constitutionPastoralis Romani Pontificis,which was Benedict's revision of the traditionalCoena Dominianathematization, waspromulgatedon 30 March 1741. In it Benedict again excommunicated all members of Protestant sects, including Lutherans, Calvinists,Zwinglians, and Huguenots. It ordered that ecumenical councils not be resorted to by opponents of papal decisions.]Its most stringent clause was 20: We excommunicate all those who shall by themselves or others, directly or indirectly, under whatever title or pretext, presume to invade, destroy, occupy and detain, wholly or in part, the City of Rome, the Kingdom of Sicily, the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, the territories on this side of Lesina, the patrimony of St. Peter in Tuscany, the Duchy of Spoleto, the Counties of Venaissin, and Sabina, the March of Ancona, Massa Trebaria, Romagna, Campagna, and the maritime provinces and their territories and places, and the territories under special commission of the Arnulfi, and our cities of Bologna, Cesena, Rimini, Benevento, Perugia, Avignon, Citta di Castello, Todi, Ferrara, Comachio, and other cities, territories and places, or rights, belonging to the Roman Church, and mediately or immediately subject to the said Roman Church; and likewise those who presume to usurp de facto, to disturb, to retain, or in various ways to trouble, the supreme jurisdiction, belonging in them to Us and to the said Roman Church; and likewise their adherents, patrons, and protectors, or those who aid, counsel or abet them in any way whatsoever. This clause, if applied, excommunicated the governments of Spain, France, and the Empire, in addition to lesser princes who held, without papal grant or investiture, territory claimed by the Papacy. The bull was smiled at even by Pope Benedict XIV who once said, "I like to leave the Vatican lightnings asleep." Its application to the Duchy of Parma byPope Clement XIIIin 1768 had major consequences, including the beginning of expulsions of Jesuits from European states. Finances At the beginning of his reign, the papal government was heavily in debt, to the amount of 56,000,000 scudi, and was running an annual deficit of more than 200,000 scudi. Benedict attempted to improve the finances of the Papal States, but even at his death the administration was still running a deficit.His greatest economic action was the reduction in the size of the papal army, which had become ineffectual in terms of contemporary military practice, even in keeping order inside the Papal States; and he severely reduced the pay of both officers and soldiers.He instituted economies in his own household and in the bureaucracy, but these were insignificant in terms of the debt and deficit. In 1741, on the advice of Cardinal Aldovrandini (who had nearly been elected pope instead of Benedict), he instituted a new tax, a duty on stamped paper on legal documents; it did not produce the revenue expected, and it was abolished in 1743. He reduced taxes on imported cattle, oil, and raw silk, but imposed new taxes on lime, china clay, salt, wine, straw, and hay. In 1744 he raised taxes on land, house rents, feudal grants to barons, and pensions derived from prebends. Despite these fiscal problems, the Papacy was able to buy two frigates in England, and in April 1745 Benedict personally christened a galley, named the Benedetta, which he had ordered constructed. He also ordered the modernization of the harbor of Anzio, but the work was so expensive that it had to be abandoned in 1752. He encouraged agriculture and free trade and drastically cut the military budget, but was unable to completely reform the administration, still corrupt from previous papacies. At the University of Bologna he revived the practice of anatomical studies and established a chair of surgery. He had a clear view of ecclesiastical problems, had respect for differing opinions and an ability to distinguish between dogma and theory. Other activities Benedict XIV in 1741, portrait bySubleyras On 22 December 1741, Benedict XIV issued the BullImmensa Pastorum Principisand sent an Apostolic Brief to the Bishops of Brazil and King John of Portugal, against the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and other countries. It excommunicated any person who, for whatever motive, enslaved a native Brazilian. It did not address the case of black Africans. The Bull ordered the Jesuits to cease engaging in commerce, which was strictly forbidden by their own statutes, and meddling in politics. The bull went unenforced in Brazil. TheApostolic ConstitutionSacramentum Poenitentiaeof 1741assigned to theSupreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisitionthe responsibility of safeguarding the sanctity of the sacrament of penance. On 18 May 1743, Benedict XIV signed a document addressed to the Archbishops and Bishops of the Kingdom of Poland regarding marriage,communicating his dissatisfaction with the dissolution of Christian marriages, some even long-stable ones, by theEcclesiastical Courtsof Poland without due cause or in violation ofcanon law.Troubles arose from what are called "clandestine marriages", a secret arrangement between partners, usually for the purpose of marrying a person of choice rather than entering into an "arranged marriage". Benedict XIV was also responsible, along withCardinal Passionei, for beginning the catalogue of the oriental manuscripts in theVatican Library.The Pope added some 3,300 of his own books to the collection. In 1741 the collection of manuscripts relating to Chinese religion and history were left to the Vatican Library by bequest of Msgr. Fouchet, a one-time missionary.During his reign the library of Marchese Alessandro Capponi was acquired through bequest. The collection of the antiquarian Filippo Stosch of Florence also came to the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana after his death, including a large collection of manuscripts that went back as far as the twelfth century. In 1747, Benedict promulgated the bullPostremo mense superioris anni, which summarised and restated certain aspects of Catholic teaching oninfant baptism, in particular that 1) it is generally not licit to baptise a child of a Jewish family without parental consent, 2) it is licit to baptise a Jewish child in danger of death without parental consent, 3) once such a baptism had occurred (whether licit or not), the ecclesiastical authorities have a duty to remove the child from its parents' custody in order to provide it with a Christian education. Oriental rites Since his days as a Consultor at the Holy Office (Inquisition), Benedict had been involved in issues pertaining to the missions, both those seeking to convert non-Christians, and those seeking to reconcile heretics and schismatics to the Roman Church.One concern was the Coptic Christians in upper Egypt, where efforts to seek union with the Coptic Patriarch had not been successful. Numbers of Coptic priests and laity had entered into union with Rome, but had no bishop to serve their needs. In the BullQuemadmodum ingentiof 4 August 1741, Benedict entrusted their care to the one Coptic bishop who was in union with Rome, the Patriarch Athanasius of Jerusalem, who was given extensive powers to supervise uniate Copts in Egypt. In his encyclicalAllatae Sunt, promulgated on 26 July 1755, and sent to missionaries working under the direction of the Congregationde propaganda fide,Pope Benedict addressed the numerous problems arising in dealing with the clergy and laity belonging to various eastern rites, particularly the Armenian and Syriac rites. He reminded the missionaries that they were converting people from schism and heresy: We also wanted to make clear to all the good will which the Apostolic See feels for Oriental Catholics in commanding them to observe fully their ancient rites which are not at variance with the Catholic religion or with propriety. The Church does not require schismatics to abandon their rites when they return to Catholic unity, but only that they forswear and detest heresy. Its great desire is for the preservation, not the destruction of different peoplesin short, that all may be Catholic rather than all become Latin. Benedict XIV, however, echoing the words ofPope Gelasius I, universally banned the practice of females serving the priest at the altar, noting that the practice had spread to certain Oriental Rites. Chinese rites and Indian rites Benedict XIV presents his encyclicalEx Omnibusto the Comte de Stainvilletienne Franois, later the Duc de Choiseul. He had a very active papacy, reforming the education of priests, thecalendar of feastsof the church, and many papal institutions. Perhaps the most important act of Benedict XIV's pontificate was thepromulgationof his famous laws aboutmissionsin the twobulls,Ex quo singulari(11 July 1742), andOmnium sollicitudinum(12 September 1744).In these bulls he ruled on the custom of accommodating non-Christian words and usages to express Christian ideas and practices of the native cultures, which had been extensively done by theJesuitsin theirIndianandChinesemissions. An example of this is the statues of ancestors there had long been uncertainty whether honour paid to one's ancestors was unacceptable 'ancestor worship,' or if it was something more like the Catholicveneration of the saints. This question was especially pressing in the case of an ancestor known not to have been a Christian. The choice of a Chinese translation for thename of Godhad also been debated since the early 17th century. Benedict XIV denounced these practices in these two bulls. The consequence of this was that many of these converts left the church. During his papacy, Benedict XIV commissioned a team of architects, led byNicola SalviandLuigi Vanvitelli, to design a large palace that was to be 'more complex and with greater baroque style than the box of a palace Vanvitelli designed inCaserta'. The palace was to be built south of St. Peter's Basilica, but was never built, as the plans were quietly ignored by Benedict's successor,Clement XIII. They were brought up once more byPius VIlate in his papacy, but had to stop due to the possibility of invasion. On 15 December 1744, Benedict XIV blessed the baroque chapel (Chapel of St. John the Baptist) inSant'Antonio dei Portoghesiin Rome, which featured mosaics on the sides, floor, and wall behind the altar made of semi-precious stones. The chapel, which had been commissioned by King John V of Portugal in 1740, was designed by Nicola Salvi and Luigi Vanvitelli. When complete, it was then shipped to Portugal to be placed in the Igreja de So Roque, the Jesuit church in Lisbon. TheCapuchins, under the leadership of Italian priest Joseph Mary Bernini, grew the community ofBettiah Christiansin colonial India.He was invited to spread Catholic Christianity by Maharaja Dhurup Singh of theBettiah Raj, an appointment that was blessed by Pope Benedict XIV on 1 May 1742 in a personal letter to the king. Consistories Cardinals created by Benedict XIV Benedict XIV created 64 cardinals in seven consistories; among the new cardinals he elevated into the cardinalate was theHenry Benedict Stuart(1747). The pope also reserved one cardinalin pectoreand revealed that name at a later time, therefore validating the creation. Canonizations and beatifications The pope canonized seven saints during his pontificate includingCamillus de LellisandFidelis of Sigmaringen. He also beatified several individuals such asCharlemagneandNiccol Albergati. Jubilee On 5 May 1749, Pope Benedict XIV declared aHoly Year, to begin on Christmas Eve, 1749 and to extend throughout the next year until Christmas 1750.During the month of April 1750, 43,000 meals were served to the poor at the Trinita Hospital.Later that year, the Pope bannedcard games. With thepapal bullPeregrinantes, Benedict XIV convoked aJubileein 1750. Furthermore, the pope called uponSaint Leonard of Port Mauriceto preach; both had a close relationship and the year previously saw Benedict XIV ask him to give sermons on penance and conversion in Rome. Among the initiatives that the pope designed for the Jubilee were the call for Christian unity and organizing for proper accommodation for those pilgrims who flocked to Rome. Upon the advice of Saint Leonard, the pope was the first to institute theVia Crucisat theColosseum, which he consecrated as a site of martyrdom for the early Christians. The pope placed the stations of the Cross in the arena, however, these were removed in 1874 before being restored in 1925. Personality Benedict XIV was considered one of the best scholars to have sat on the papal throne, noted for his keen intellect and his consistent morals. Noted for his modesty,Horace Walpoleprocured for the pope a statue of him with an accompanying plaque. When the copy of the inscription was forwarded to Rome for approval, Benedict XIV smiled upon reading it and, shaking his head, exclaimed: "Alas! I am like the statues of the Piazza San Pietro admirable at a distance but monstrous when seen at close quarters!" However, Benedict XIV also had his personal faults, unable to resist gambling in cards and was known for the use of profane language which one of his early biographers classified as "unfortunate phraseology". Despite his best efforts, the pontiff was unable to completely cut out bad language. A deeply pious man, Benedict XIV had a crucifix placed in every room, and it is said that the sight of a crucifix helped to restrain his poor language more often than not. Despite his faults, Benedict XIV was jovial and was lucid until the very end. To those who knew him, his blue eyes seemed to sparkle with humor and cordiality. Death and burial Tomb of Benedict XIV,St. Peter's Basilica. Benedict XIV had suffered from kidney problems for years. His health worsened in 1758 and, after a battle withgout, he died on 3 May 1758 at the age of 83.His final words to those surrounding him on his deathbed were, "I leave you in the hands of God."Despite those words, the pope is alleged to have recited the famous Latin phrase "Sic transit gloria mundi" before poignantly adding "I now fall into silence and forgetfulness, the only place that belongs to me". Benedict XIV originally demonstrated symptoms of illness on 26 April 1758 after having previously rallied from a serious illness that included gout that February. However, a contractedfeveraggravated hisasthmaand he suffered from difficulties in urinating. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly in the following days after his gout and contractedkidney diseaseincreased his sufferings. Despite this, his appetite had not diminished which was interpreted as a sign that he could potentially rally from his malady. However, into May, his condition had worsened considerably, though the pope remained lucid until the end, able to impart one last blessing before he died on 3 May. Following his funeral, he was interred inSaint Peter's Basilicaand a largecatafalquewas erected in his honour.

Price: 289.99 USD

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-03-12T15:20:26.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4 USD